The present invention pertains to a partition assembly which defines a plurality of compartments for use in a container. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a partition assembly for separating articles to be packaged in a container, where the partition assembly includes break-away segments which allow the assembly to be easily separable into smaller partition assemblies upon insertion into the container.
Partition panels are commonly used in carton packaging, such as cardboard or paperboard boxes, for separating articles packaged in the boxes and preventing the articles from contact with one another when shipped or stored. This is particularly true for glass articles, such as bottles and other similar articles, but is also true in packaging easily bruised food items such as fruits and vegetables and in packaging eggs. A typical partition assembly is comprised of several panels arranged in a crisscrossing pattern in the interior of the carton where the crisscrossing panels define several separate storage areas in the carton interior. Prior art partition panels typically extend from the bottom to the top of the container and provide added compression strength to the container in addition to separating the container interior into separate storage areas.
A prior art partition assembly is typically comprised of a plurality of rectangular panels of paperboard or cardboard or other similar material. A first set of the panels includes a series of one or more slots extending inward, in parallel manner, from an edge of each panel and terminating within the panel. A second set of the panels, equal in number to the number of slots on the first set of panels, includes a series of similar slots which cooperate with the series of slots on the first set of panels. The second set of panels are arranged perpendicular to the first set of panels and the slots in each set of panels cooperate by engaging with one another to form a partition assembly. The partition assembly is then inserted into the carton interior to divide the interior into separate areas, each to receive an article to be packaged in the container.
By varying the number of first and second panels, and the number of slots in each panel, various arrays of partition assemblies can be constructed. Typical arrays include partition assemblies defining 6, 8, 12, 18, and 24 compartments in a container.
In order to prevent against inadvertent disassembly, partition assemblies typically include means for disengageably interlocking the partition panels to one another. The panels may include corresponding tabs and tab receiving openings such that the tabs of one set of panels are received in and are retained within tab receiving openings of the other set of panels, thus interlocking the sets of panels together. Some known assemblies have such tabs and tab receiving openings near the edges of the panels, while other known assemblies have the tabs and tab receiving openings located inward from the edges of the panels.